Growing up in a family where our vacations needed a car and needed a family member at the destination, our cars may very, but the fact that 3 children and 2 parents will always be there was a given. Growing up and taking over more space in any vehicle was imminent. And after taking multiple road trips every year for the past 23 years, with destinations ranging from 3 hours away to 27 I have some advice...

1.RESPECT YOUR PARENTS: First off, remember who your parents are. They are your parents, and if your parents aren't [complete] lunatics, you should always respect them. They know what they are doing and guess what,

2. YOU AREN'T THE CENTER OF THE WORLD, OR THE CAR: I especially have issues with this one. I hate when my sibling's leg is touching mine, or if their shoulder is invading my area. But after the last 5 years you start to figure yourself out, and understand what to do to avoid those situations.

3. IF YOUR FAMILY GROWS YOU"VE GOTTA DEAL WITH IT: This last vacation we had us 3, both parents and our adopted bother that hadn't been on a 23 hour trip with us before, and my fiancé. Luckily the most recent vehicle my mom drives is a minivan. But that puts 7 people in a 7 person car. So we must all look back to point 2. This is hard, though, when everyone has a pet peeve that has something to do with 2 or more people in the car. This brings me to point number 4,

4. GET OVER YOUR PET PEEVES: Find a way not to notice what they (the others) are doing. This includes anything to do with noses or mouths, disgusting as it may be. When there are 7 of each in a small car for many hours you must find creative ways to hide your hate towards that person making those noises. My family also gets upset if you publicly proclaim your distaste for what is happening. So, finding unique ways to ignore the shenanigans of your fellow car-mates will be the only way to survive the hours to come.

5. WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, GO WITH IT: Like a flat tire for example. Seven people in one vehicle, plus one flat tire is not the best situation. It sets the entire plan back by hours, and plans are ruined. Two hours of waiting for a tire to be fixed initially, and then six more hours to fix the problem for good. Starting the last leg of the trip when you were supposed to already be home is not a fun feeling. But when you are stuck at Walmart for three hours, and you have already walked up and down the aisle, you have to find something else to do. Buy a deck of cards and sit at the SubWay they most likely have and play. Time will fly by.

When you are stuck in a small space with a lot of humans you must be understanding, to yourself, and for sure the others around you. Do you really need to add your comment or get annoyed about every little thing? If you can avoid it by simply sitting forward or closing your eyes and putting in your earbuds. Just roll with it.